A chilling glint flashed in Kalain’s eyes. As a challenger like him, I could understand why he spoke with such bitterness.0

During my climb, I had encountered many species that had been or were oppressed. Kalain likely mistook me for one of them.0

Yet, his hatred was so intensely overwhelming that even I struggled to comprehend it.0

Many gods act evilly, true.0

That didn’t mean that all of them were wicked, though. Some had fallen victim as well, and others I had met seemed benign. Moreover, the tower often leaned in favor of such deities.0

Yet, he harbored this much anger toward the tower because of me, someone he had only just met. There had to be a deeper story behind his fury.0

“You can’t even speak, or even express yourself. Another curse inflicted by this fucking tower,” Kalain growled through gritted teeth. 0

His rage-fueled speech continued, “Those motherfuckers. How can they treat a sentient being like this?”0

I silently observed him.0

When Kalain noticed my lack of reaction, he offered a faint, almost pitying smile. “It seems like you don’t understand. What I mean is, even if your god has ordered you to do this, it’s still wrong. Every being deserves free will. Forcing you to remain trapped here, sacrificing yourself for someone else, is nothing but tyranny.”1

I nodded inwardly.0

Although Kalain had misunderstood my circumstances, what he said wasn’t entirely wrong. The tower contained countless non-human individuals who had either been created for trials or forcibly conscripted into them against their will.0

It was unjust without a...0